2016 Eisner Award nominees showcase the year's best comic books

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Some fans can’t wait to watch the spectacle of the Oscars, others count down the days until the Emmys, but the artistic honors I most look forward to being awarded each year are the comic-book industry’s Eisners. Named after the legendary creator of The Spirit and the inventor of the graphic novel, Will Eisner, the Eisners have been highlighting the best and brightest in comic books since they were first given out in 1988. Now it’s that time of year again, when the nominees are announced, giving fans time to debate who will win when they are given out at San Diego Comic Con on July 22.

The 2016 nominees are notable in that they include a record 61 nominations between 49 women, up over the 44 nominated for last year’s awards. With the comic industry under heavy scrutiny by fans for representation of all kinds, it’s encouraging to see such prominent evidence of progress. The most nominated titles were Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover’s webcomic Bandette, Ed Piskor’s musical history series Hip-Hop Family Tree, Rep. John Lewis’ graphic novel autobiography March, Book Two and Argentinian comic The Eternaut, each with nominations in three different categories, but the awards encompassed a wide array of titles from over 60 different publishers and are sure to provide some high-quality reading material no matter what kind of comic you’re looking for.

Among the more high-profile categories is “Best Writer,” which sees nominations for Star Wars and Doctor Strange writer Jason Aaron, Giant Days’ John Allison, The Fade Out and Velvet writer Ed Brubaker, Monstress writer Marjorie Liu, and Ms. Marvel’s G. Willow Wilson. Up for “Best Penciller/Inker” is Michael Allred for his work on Silver Surfer and Art Ops, Cliff Chiang for Paper Girls, Erica Henderson for Jughead and Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Joëlle Jones for Lady Killer and Brides of Helheim, and Nate Powell for March, Book Two.

“Best New Series” includes Monstress, Bitch Planet, Harrow County, Kaijumax, Paper Girls and Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, the latter five out of six of which were included in the Blastr staff’s roundup of the best new series of 2015. We didn’t do quite as well with the “Best Continuing Series” category, however, as we only included Silver Surfer and Southern Bastards on our best ongoings list. Looks like we have some reading to do!

Read on to find out the nominees for the 28th annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, and be sure to let us know your predictions and preferences for who will be leaving San Diego with a trophy.

Best Short Story

“Black Death in America,” by Tom King and John Paul Leon, in Vertigo Quarterly: Black (Vertigo/DC)

“Hand Me Down,” by Kristyna Baczynski, in 24 x 7 (Fanfare Presents)

“It’s Going to Be Okay,” by Matthew Inman, in The Oatmeal, theoatmeal.com/comics/plane